The Daily Show: Go Fox Yourself

Thursday

Jul 7, 2011 at 12:01 AMJul 7, 2011 at 7:51 PM

Much has been made about my recent interview with Fox New's Chris Wallace a couple Sundays ago, because when Wallace said, "I believe we're the counterweight. I think that [NBC News has] a liberal agenda, and I think we tell the other side of the story," I thought it was a big deal. Apparently I was wrong.

Much has been made about my recent interview with Fox New's Chris Wallace a couple Sundays ago, because when Wallace said, "I believe we're the counterweight. I think that [NBC News has] a liberal agenda, and I think we tell the other side of the story," I thought it was a big deal. Apparently I was wrong.

"Jon seemed to think that was a big deal that I said, 'We tell the other side of the story.' I wish I had said 'the full story'" Wallace later said.

That's your setting the record straight? "I accidentally told the truth and I wish I could take it back." That's crazy!

"Let me give you a classic example of what 'fair and balanced' means to me," Wallace said. "After Hurricane Katrina, the mainstream media piled on FEMA for the failure to respond to the crisis but it was Fox News that started reporting on the failure of the city of New Orleans and state of Louisiana to help people. Yes, we reported FEMA's problems, but we also told the other side of the story."

That's your example? Uh, in 2005 everyone was crapping on Republicans, and we made sure that they understood that local Louisiana Democrats effed up, too.

All right, I can find something more recent that tells the fuller story. Like "Special Report with Bret Baier" reporting on the crazy operation that allowed Mexican cartels to purchase automatic weapons in America and smuggle them back into Mexico.

"The president [said the operation] was a mistake. Some say it was innocent, others believe it was allowed to happen to justify tougher gun laws in the U.S.," said William La Jeunesse on Baier's show.

Did you see that? He just threw it right in there - President Obama is either incompetent or the architect of an evil conspiracy to wreak violent carnage in Mexico as a way to take away Americans' guns.

Wallace's main claim to credibility was that Fox News doesn't go easy on Republicans. Does that mean that because I make fun of Democrats I'm not biased?

"I think you take shots at liberals to maintain credibility and you're not comfortable with it. You like to make fun of conservatives," Wallace said.

See the game? I make fun of conservatives because I'm a liberal, partisan ideologue. I make fun of liberals because I want, as part of my brilliant strategy, to maintain enough credibility to make fun of conservatives.

That narrative of conservative victimization is the true genius of what Fox News has accomplished. Any editorial judgment in news, movies or schools that doesn't favor the conservative view is elitism and evidence of liberal bias, whereas any editorial judgment that favors the conservative view is evidence merely of fairness and is done to protect from liberal bias.

And criticizing Fox News for this is evidence of said bias. It's air-tighter than an otter's anus. They can't lose.

This whole thing reminds me of a term Wallace used to describe our presidential administration - "the biggest bunch of crybabies."